On 7 January 2022, Ambassador Han Zhiqiang took a joint interview by Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5, and TOPNEWS Television station. During the interview, Ambassador Han answered questions regarding China-Thailand relations, anti-pandemic cooperation,China's achievements and experience of development, China-US relations, democracy with Chinese characteristics, China-ASEAN relations, China-Thailand Railway, the Beijing Winter Olympics etc., and had a full communication and interaction with reporters from the above-mentioned media. 

Q: Thailand and China enjoy geographically proximity, blood-lined kinship and time-honored friendship. You have done a lot of work since you took office, and I believe you must have had a deeper understanding of Thailand. How would you comment on Thailand-China relations? How will Thailand-China relations develop in the future?

A: China and Thailand are good neighbors with an over thousand-year history of exchanges. For a long time, we have always trusted and supported each other. The friendly cooperation between China and Thailand not only benefits the two peoples, but also makes positive contributions to the peace and prosperity of the region and the world.

The world is not peaceful. Hegemonism and the Cold War mentality often haunt the world. But peace and development are people’s will and the overriding trend. China's economy has reached US$17 trillion and will continue to achieve high-quality development. This will bring great development opportunities to all countries in the region, and the world. 

I arrived in Thailand in August last year to take up my post. For more than 5 months, every day, I could tangibly feel the Thai people’s deep friendship towards China and their enthusiasm for China-Thailand cooperation. I have full confidence in the prospects of the development of our two countries and the prospects of the development of our bilateral relations.

Q: Thailand and China have been helping each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and have carried out good cooperation. Chinese vaccines have played an important role in helping build a vaccine barrier in Thailand. In what areas can the two sides further cooperate in the future? In addition to the prevention and control of the pandemic, the Thai side has some expectations in terms of economic recovery and personnel exchanges. What is your view on this?

A: A friend in need is a friend indeed. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, our two countries have been supporting each other and overcoming the difficulties together. This is the best interpretation of "China and Thailand are one family".

After the outbreak of the pandemic in China in early 2020, Thailand took the lead in expressing encouragement and donating medical materials to China. After the pandemic in Thailand got worse last year, China earnestly provided support to Thailand in a timely and continuous manner. Up to now, China has provided Thailand with 50.85 million doses of vaccines in total, including 3.35 million as donations to help Thailand build an effective vaccine barrier.

The Omicron variant is spreading, and uncertainty still exists about the pandemic. As long as Thailand has the needs and China has the capability, we will continue to fully support the Thailand in the fight against the pandemic. The two sides can strengthen cooperation in the supply, R&D and production of vaccines and anti-pandemic drugs. Meanwhile, we can also cooperate in capacity building of responding to major public health emergencies. 

China-Thailand economic and trade cooperation is important to maintaining economic recovery and development of our two countries under the pandemic. Last year, China opened six additional border ports for Thai products. Our bilateral trade broke through the US$100 billion mark. From January to November last year, Thailand’s export to China totaled US$ 57 billion with an increase of 31%. Among them,  the export of Thai agricultural products to China reached US$11.1 billion, with a growth of 59 %.

China attaches great importance to the important role of personnel exchanges in promoting our bilateral relations. I believe, once the pandemic is over, Thailand will continue to be the top choice for Chinese tourists in travelling abroad.

Q: The Thai people look forward to the promotion of Thailand’s exports to China with the opening and operation of the China-Laos Railway, and hope to accelerate the construction of the China-Laos-Thailand Railway connection line and the China-Thailand Railway. What is your opinion?

A: President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. The BRI promotes connectivity among countries and paves one path after another for countries to share their development and people to share their happiness.

In December last year, the China-Laos Railway was officially opened to traffic. It will strongly stimulate the development of tourism, agriculture, logistics and other industries along the route, as well as the construction of economic zones and urbanization. It will also inject new impetus into China-Thailand economic and trade cooperation and personnel exchanges.

The China-Thailand Railway is a landmark project for the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between our two countries. The first phase of the project is expected to open to traffic in 2026. The entire line is expected to open to traffic in 2028. At that time, the Indo-China Peninsula will enjoy a new grand railway project running through the north and south. The Peninsula will also enter the era of high-speed railway in an all-round way. Like everyone, we hope that day could come soon.

Q: Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Could you please brief on the major achievements and experience of the CPC over the past century? How will China develop in the future? Many people in Thailand believe that China’s experience is worth learning from. How do you see it?

A: China is a civilization with a history of 5,000 years. But in modern times, it suffered from colonial aggression externally and corrupted governance internally. The country was poor and weak and its people found it hard to live on. Now, the Chinese people are enjoying full independence and true democracy. China has successfully built a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarked on a new journey to build China into a great modern socialist country. 

Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. We looked back on the CPC’s endeavors and struggle, and summarized the successful experience over the past century. We have full confidence in the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics that we have explored and chosen. China will realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with president Xi Jinping at its core.

Countries in the world have different national conditions, political systems and development paths. This is normal and should be mutually respected. It is wrong to impose one country’s own political system to other countries. Meanwhile, political civilization is also the common wealth of humanity. We should conduct exchanges, share experience, and learn from each other.

Q: Tensions in China-U.S. relations have caused worries among countries in the region. We hope that China and the United States could ease tensions and cooperate with each other. What do you think of this?

A: The tensions in China-U.S. relations are entirely and solely caused by the United States' strategy to contain China. China hopes that China-U.S. relations could remain in good condition and is willing to conduct dialogue and cooperation. However, in the face of unreasonable suppression and bullying by the United States, we can only resolutely fight back.

The twentieth century saw the world eradicate colonialism. The twenty-first century will not see hegemonism go rampant and crazy around the world. Justice will eventually triumph over evil.

China has put forward the three-point principle of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation between China and the United States. This is the just and righteous path. It is hoped that the United States could get rid of the mentality and practice of containing China and maintaining hegemony, and return to the right path of rationality. This is beneficial to China and the United States and beneficial to the world. Otherwise, the United States would eventually find that its lifting the rock will only drop on its own feet.

Q: The US and Western media often criticize Chinese democracy, including the issues of Hong Kong and Taiwan. What is your view on this? 

A: Democracy is the common value of humanity. Over the past hundreds of years, CPC has paid great sacrifice to overthrow the reactionary dictatorship and realize democracy; the China’s Constitution stipulates clearly “All power in the People’s Republic of China belongs to the people”. On the road of people’s democracy, China has created a series of miracles such as long-term stability, rapid development, and poverty alleviation. The people participate in the discussion and handling of state affairs, and live and work in peace and contentment. China’s democratic model is in line with its own national conditions. It is true democracy, effective democracy, and successful democracy.

Whether democracy is good or not, the people of this country know the best. Just like whether the taste of Tom Yum Goong is good or not, the Thai people have the floor to say. Countries can share and learn from each other the experiences of the development of democracy on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment. The practice of grossly interfering in the internal affairs of other countries in the name of “democracy” is nothing but a trampling on democracy.

Under the guise of promoting democracy, some countries instigated street violence in Hong Kong, and supported the “Taiwan independence forces”. They did so only because they want to make troubles for China. Such a conspiracy in front of China will never succeed and is doomed to fail, because the Chinese people champion their own country’s system, and this is invincible.

Q: China and ASEAN have established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. How would you rate China-ASEAN relations? What are China’s considerations in resolving the South China Sea issue?

A: Last year, China and ASEAN celebrated their 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations. The new positioning of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a realistic reflection of the high-level development of the relationship between China and ASEAN and also charts the direction for the future.

The East-Asia region we are in has maintained overall stability and development for a long time and has become the center of world economic growth. It is like an oasis of peaceful development. This is the outcome of friendly cooperation among countries in the region and the hard work of 2 billion people in the region.

We must cherish this hard-won situation, eliminate disturbances and challenges, and make joint efforts to build this region into a community with shared future.

China’s position on the sovereignty of islands in the South China Sea is consistent and clear. We adhere to the approach to manage differences and resolve territorial disputes through dialogues and negotiations with parties directly concerned. On the other hand, we actively promote the implementation of DOC and speed up the consultations on the COC with ASEAN countries, to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. By doing so, we hope to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation.

Some particular countries outside the region frequently send warships and military aircrafts to the South China Sea under the banner of “freedom of navigation”. Their aim is to show off their military power and sow discord among countries in the region. They have become the biggest disruptors of peace and stability in the South China Sea and deserve high vigilance among regional countries.

Q；The Beijing Winter Olympics is about to open, and the Thai people also care much about it. Can you tell us about the characteristics of this Winter Olympics?

A: The Beijing Winter Olympics will be held from February 4 to 20. Beijing will become the world’s first “Double Olympic City” to have hosted the Summer and Winter Olympics.

The first feature of this Winter Olympics is Green. For the first time in the history of the Olympics, all venues will achieve 100% green power supply. All carbon emissions produced will realize carbon neutrality. The second is Safe and Secure. The Olympic Organizing Committee implements “closed-loop management” to ensure anti-pandemic safety and security. The third is Splendid. The Beijing Winter Olympics has a total of 109 programs and provides ultra-high-definition live streaming services. The performances of the opening and closing ceremonies are also worth looking forward to.

I sincerely wish the athletes of Thailand and other countries to make new breakthroughs in the Beijing Winter Olympics. And I look forward to the people of Thailand applauding the wonderful performance of the athletes in front of the TV, together with the mascots “Bing Dwen Dwen” and “Shuey Rhon Rhon”.